Wild Baby Rabbits

You have a
litter of wild baby bunnies.

Now What?

I get several e-mails starting in the spring about how to care for wild baby
bunnies. Many times the best thing to do is nothing. If the babies
look okay, just leave them in their nest or return them to it. If you
return the babies, put unscented baby powder or unscented dental floss around
the nest and check to see if it is disturbed in 24 to 48 hours since this will
indicate if the mother has been there. If not, then you may need to take care
of them yourself so they survive.

The
House
Rabbit Society
website has the most complete information on
ORPHANED BABY BUNNIESin case you need to
rehabilitate the bunnies yourself and keep them for a time. Visit
the link above. It includes instructions on how much to feed them
and a lot more.

Wildlife Resource Licensed wildlife rehabilitators
are located in several states. Entire list is located at the link below and
you will need to find your state in the list:

Rabbits
won't reject their offspring if you touch them. However,
it isn't recommended unless absolutely necessary. Baby
bunnies have no scent so they don't draw predators. If
you touch them, you will transfer your scent to them.

A female rabbit
will only nurse her litter a few minutes once or twice at night.

Wild baby bunnies
do not have a scent and won't attract predators except by sight
or sound.

The rabbit doe
(mother)
will be out of the nest to eat and draw attention away from her
new brood most of the time.

Do not give a
baby rabbit cow's milk! Instead, give them KMR (Kitten Replacer
Milk from the pet store or goat's milk) and please do not over
feed. If they are old enough, grass, alfalfa or timothy
hay and water is the best feed for them. No carrots! or
other vegetables (especially fruit).

In most states it is
illegal to keep wild animals (including wild baby rabbits) no matter how cute.

Feral Rabbitsare not "wild rabbits." They are domesticated
pet rabbits
abandoned by their owners. Domesticated rabbits are only
cousins to cottontail rabbits, they cannot mate and produce live
offspring together. They have a different number of
chromosomes. The "agouti" brown coat of some
domesticated rabbits may look similar to a wild rabbit, but
they are not the same.

If
you have domesticated rabbits of your own:

Please remember that
it is best not to touch wild rabbits because you can pass on
diseases to your pet rabbits. If you do touch them, wash
and disinfect your hands!

How to Keep Wild
Cottontails Out of Your Garden

For those of us who love rabbits
including the wild ones, it is hard to imagine people don't want them in their
yards. But it is true. I receive several emails every year once gardening season
starts requesting information on how to rid yards of these "pests." Rather than
let rabbits exterminated, I decided it might be good to offer up some tips on
how to do this in a non-lethal way from advice I have received over the years.

I have compiled a list of old wives
tales, tried and true methods, and anecdotal information on how to keep rabbits
out of gardens. I certainly don't guarantee any of the information, but I do
know some gardeners swear by one or more of these methods. I think it is a
trial and error process and most of all a trial for frustrated gardeners.
Contrary to the myth about "dumb bunnies," rabbits are very smart especially
when food is involved. I don't offer any lethal means of thwarting hungry
rabbits. It just isn't my style.